(3) K-3 Illustrated by Niña Mata. A mixed-race family spends a day at the beach, where their child confidently notes and appreciates the different types of beach hair (“I see BIG beach hair. And WIG beach hair. TWISTY and TWIRLY and BARELY-THERE beach hair”). This subtle celebration of all kinds of (beach) hair is a perfect read-aloud, employing vivid similes (“Mommy’s [hair] coils into tiny spirals, like all the best seashells in my collection”) and featuring warm and playful digital illustrations.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) YA Autumn's best friend dies in an accident; Shay's twin sister dies of leukemia; Logan's ex-boyfriend dies of an overdose. In alternating chapters, these Long Island teens battle grief alone until their unknown connections--through a vividly imagined local music scene--eventually bring them together. Three intense losses make this emotional novel overly arduous, but it may still appeal to fans of grief-driven tearjerkers.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald